Papaya is normally propagated from seeds. Seeds extracted from ripe papayas are first washed to remove the gelatinous covering, dried and dusted with a fungicide. The seeds should be sown as soon as possible because they loose their viability rapidly in storage. After soaking overnight the papaya seeds can be sown in sand beds or directly into polythene bags. The soil mixture used is 50% sand for good drainage, 25% organic manure and 25% top soil. Normally, a seed rate (dried) of 30 to 50 g is required for one hectare. The seeds are sown at a depth of 1 cm and 2.5 cm apart under 75% shade.

Drenching the soil with benomyl or captan fungicide may be necessary to prevent damping off ( Pythium spp. ). Sterile potting mixture may also be used because young papaya seedlings have a high mortality rate from damping off. To prepare the sterilized mixture, place 50:50 of soil to vermiculite in an oven at 93°C for one hour. Under ideal conditions, the seeds usually germinate in about two weeks, but may take three to five weeks. Gibberellic acid can be used to speed up germination. After 6 to 8 weeks, the seedlings are ready for transplanting. Because seedling papayas do not transplant well, they should be prepared such that they are transplanted only once, when they go into the ground. During transplanting, make sure not to damage the root ball. The transplanted seedlings must be watered regularly until they become established.

Though not commonly done, papaya plants can also be grown from cuttings. The latter should be hardened off for a few days and then propped up with the tip touching moist, fertile soil until roots form. When the semi-hardwood cuttings are planted, they usually root rapidly.